Name: Candide
Start: 1989-12-12T00:00:00.000Z
End: 1989-12-13T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Barbican Centre

Organization

Conductor

Leonard Bernstein

Stage director

Humphrey Burton

Lighting designer

Alan Woolford

Sound designer

John Evans

Costume designer

Amelia Bauer

Set designer

Julia Whiteoak

Tenor

Jerry Hadley

Candide

Soprano

June Anderson

Cunegonde

Baritone

Adolph Green

Dr Pangloss

Contralto

Christa Ludwig

Old Woman

Kurt Ollmann

Maximilian

Nicolai Gedda

Governor

Vanderdendur

Singer

Ragotski

Martin

Hermann Augustus

Della Jones

Paquette

Clive Bayley

Bearkeeper

First inquisitor

Bass

Tsar Ivan

Lindsay Benson

Doctor

Second inquisitor

Spoken

King Stanislas

Neil Jenkins

Cosmetic Merchant

Third inquisitor

Charles Edward

Richard Suart

Junkman

John Treleaven

Alchemist

Sultan Achmet

Crook

Simon Bainbridge

First Choir Soloist

Chris Short

Second Choir Soloist

Aileen Perris

Third Choir Soloist

Andrew Farrow

Choir Croupier

Barbican Centre

London

United Kingdom

Music in this video
Learn more
Listen ad-free with YouTube Premium
Song
Bernstein: Candide, Act I: Overture
Artist
André Previn
Album
Bernstein: Candide, Act I: Overture
Licensed to YouTube by
WMG (on behalf of PLG UK Classics); UMPG Publishing, Warner Chappell, LatinAutorPerf, CMRRA, LatinAutor - UMPG, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, UMPI, and 4 Music Rights Societies
Song
1a. Westphalia Chorale
Artist
London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Album
1a. Westphalia Chorale
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); CMRRA, and 3 Music Rights Societies
Song
3. The Best Of All Possible Worlds
Artist
June Anderson, Della Jones, Adolph Green, Jerry Hadley, Kurt Ollmann, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Album
3. The Best Of All Possible Worlds
Licensed to YouTube by
PIAS, UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); CMRRA, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, UMPG Publishing, LatinAutor - UMPG, LatinAutorPerf, and 4 Music Rights Societies
Song
6a. Battle Music
Artist
London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Album
6a. Battle Music
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); CMRRA, LatinAutorPerf, and 4 Music Rights Societies
Song
9. Auto-da-fé
Artist
Adolph Green, John Treleavan, Neil Jenkins, Jerry Hadley, Lindsay Benson, Richard Suart, Clive Bayley, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Album
9. Auto-da-fé
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); CMRRA, LatinAutorPerf, UMPG Publishing, and 4 Music Rights Societies
Song
XIV. I Am Easily Assimilated
Artist
Christa Ludwig, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, London Symphony Chorus
Album
XIV. I Am Easily Assimilated
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); LatinAutorPerf, Concord Music Publishing, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, CMRRA, LatinAutor - UMPG, UMPG Publishing, and 6 Music Rights Societies
Song
19. The Pilgrims' Procession / Alleluia
Artist
Della Jones, Jerry Hadley, Kurt Ollmann, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Album
19. The Pilgrims' Procession / Alleluia
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); CMRRA, and 5 Music Rights Societies
Song
23. Words, Words, Words (Martin's Laughing Song)
Artist
Adolph Green, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Album
23. Words, Words, Words (Martin's Laughing Song)
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, LatinAutorPerf, LatinAutor - UMPG, CMRRA, UMPG Publishing, and 3 Music Rights Societies
Song
24. Bon Voyage
Artist
Nicolai Gedda, London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, London Symphony Chorus
Album
24. Bon Voyage
Writers
Richard Wilbur, Leonard Bernstein
Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Deutsche Grammophon (DG)); LatinAutorPerf, CMRRA, and 4 Music Rights Societies

Candide Bernstein

Public

Approved

Stage Production Notes  
Leonard Bernstein’s operetta Candide was based on the French novel Candide, ou L’Optimisme by Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. The story was a criticism of the notion that “All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds,” and followed the life of Candide, a young man seeking happiness in the world and encountering war, famine, and grief.

Initially collaborating with Lillian Hellman, Bernstein wrote the score in the early 1950s. He premiered the Overture in 1956 with the New York Philharmonic where it was an instant hit.

Candide was first performed in Boston. The out-of-town try-outs were infamous for running long, with the curtain coming down until well after midnight on at least one occasion.

Candide opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on December 1, 1956. The production was directed by Tyrone Guthrie, and featured Max Adrian as Dr. Pangloss, Barbara Cook as Cunegonde, Irra Petina as the Old Lady, and Robert Rouseville as Candide.

The production received positive reviews, with New York Times theatre critic Brooks Atkinson describing it as a “brilliant musical satire,” and praising Bernstein’s “wonderful score,” and the visual sumptuousness of the production.

Candide was nominated for multiple awards, including five Tony Awards.

Despite the critical praise, the show was a commercial flop and closed on February 2, 1957 after 73 performances.

Bernstein continued making revisions until a few years before his death in 1990. Stephen Sondheim, Richard Wilbur, John La Touche, Dorothy Parker, and conductor John Mauceri all contributed updates over various productions. There are now at least seven different versions of the show.

Candide has continued to be performed around the world, with productions in England, Scotland, Israel, and across the United States. It is one of the Bernstein’s most frequently performed symphonic compositions.

In 1986, under the direction of Hal Prince, the New York City Opera staged a popular “opera house” version of Candide. It was aired on American television on PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center, and was revived multiple times.

In 1988, the Scottish Opera and Old Vic staged a production with new lyrics by John Wells and musical direction by John Mauceri. The production transferred to the West End and won the 1989 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. 

Leonard Bernstein revised the Scottish Opera production, and this score was performed in concert at the Barbican Theatre in London on December 12 and 13, 1989. The production featured the London Symphony Orchestra, and starred Adolph Green, June Anderson, Christa Ludwig, and Jerry Hadley. Bernstein conducted the concert himself, and as he died a year a later, the Barbican Concert version is considered the "definitive" version of Candide.

A studio recording was released in 1991 under the title Bernstein Conducts Candide.​

Under the direction of Lonny Price, the New York Philharmonic presented a staged concert version of Candide at Lincoln Center as a part of its 2004 season. This production was also filmed live.

English

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew